Child Abuse Investigation Training

C.B. Smith Training & Consulting Ltd.

Adult Sexual Assault

The goal of this one day workshop is to provide information to professionals who deal with the 
adult survivors of sexual attacks. 

Police officers, social workers, victims services, counsellors and medical staff are usually the 
first point of contact with sexual assault victims. Often the victim is emotionally unable to 
report the attack or feels that they will not be believed by the authorities. Therefore, it is important for these professionals to recognize some of the signs of physical and psychological trauma that are common to many survivors of sexual assault. They also need to appreciate the need for sensitivity in obtaining detailed information from the sexual assault survivor.

An understanding of the information police officers will require for legal prosecution and the collection of forensic evidence will help social workers, victim services, medical staff and other first responders to appreciate how they can play an important role in adult sexual assault investigations.

This workshop will cover the different types of sexual offences in Canada and how they are dealt with by our legal system, the acute and long term responses typical of sexual assault survivors and the behaviour of different types of sexual offenders.

This workshop will also examine the use of forensic evidence in sexual assault cases. DNA evidence has become an essential component of many sexual assault cases and is used to establish a science based link between the suspect, the victim and the crime scene. The role of various drugs in Drug Facilitated Sexual Assaults (DFSA) will also be addressed and participants will learn how to recognize and respond to this particular type of crime.

Co-presenter, Kathy Janzen is a retired RCMP Forensic Scientist. 

Biography - Kathy Janzen 

Kathy Janzen  is a professional chemist and was a forensic toxicologist with the RCMP Forensic Laboratory in Edmonton, until her retirement in 2006 after a 25 year career. During her career as a toxicologist, she analyzed body fluids and other substances for the presence of drugs and poisons; wrote reports and opinion letters; and testified as an expert witness regarding the effects of various drugs on the human body.

One of Kathy’s major interests was Drug Facilitated Sexual Assaults and she worked on numerous cases involving these so called “Date Rape Drugs.” She has testified in court as an expert witness, written papers and has presented training sessions to police officers, and nurse examiners and other professionals on this particular topic.

For the last four years of her RCMP career, Kathy worked as a case coordinator for the forensic laboratory. Her work involved consultations with investigators on the submission of items for forensic analysis for numerous homicide and sexual assault cases. Kathy has also prepared and presented laboratory training about forensic DNA, toxicology, chemistry, firearm, blood stain pattern and document analysis of crime scene exhibits. 

Kathy is a Fellow of the Canadian Society of Forensic Science and past-president of the Association of the Chemical Profession of Alberta.